Skyline R32 GTR
Discussion
I've longed for one of these for a long time now, but insurance (doable now at 27 - well, i would hope anyway) and potential running and maintenance costs have always frightened me.
However, a thread earlier had this link in it:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1792075.htm
which is enough to make me seriously start thinking about moving up from my DC5.
I understand that regular servicing is essential, which i'm happy with, but are they massively expensive to keep on top of? I know fuel bills would be a lot more than an Integra (which is incredibly reliable, cheap to look after overall) but i don't do that many miles so fuel should be managable.
I kind of expect that a good one could be pretty trouble-free but a bad one could hurt my wallet in a big way?
Any thoughts or first hand experience?
Cheers.
EDIT: Speeloing
However, a thread earlier had this link in it:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1792075.htm
which is enough to make me seriously start thinking about moving up from my DC5.
I understand that regular servicing is essential, which i'm happy with, but are they massively expensive to keep on top of? I know fuel bills would be a lot more than an Integra (which is incredibly reliable, cheap to look after overall) but i don't do that many miles so fuel should be managable.
I kind of expect that a good one could be pretty trouble-free but a bad one could hurt my wallet in a big way?
Any thoughts or first hand experience?
Cheers.
EDIT: Speeloing
Edited by Old Gregg on Wednesday 21st July 21:28
I knew i should have had a quick search, i just found a similar topic a few pages away. Not that it had much in it, mind you.
It seems that good ones are reliable and not too bad to run but poorly maintained ones can be a 'mare - which stands to reason, of course.
If anyone wants to chip in please do, and i think i'll have a read on gtr.co.uk too.
It seems that good ones are reliable and not too bad to run but poorly maintained ones can be a 'mare - which stands to reason, of course.
If anyone wants to chip in please do, and i think i'll have a read on gtr.co.uk too.
Hi,
GTR.co.uk will have all the answers, it may take some searching though.
A couple of things from me, a well looked after car should be trouble free, just maintenance parts to replace. The link you posted to a Newera car is a good place to start, they have some very nice cars coming into the country.
As for servicing, parts are expensive, whether its Nissan or upgraded parts.
As for fuel its not too bad really, on par with similar performance cars.
GTR.co.uk will have all the answers, it may take some searching though.
A couple of things from me, a well looked after car should be trouble free, just maintenance parts to replace. The link you posted to a Newera car is a good place to start, they have some very nice cars coming into the country.
As for servicing, parts are expensive, whether its Nissan or upgraded parts.
As for fuel its not too bad really, on par with similar performance cars.
Keep at least £2000 free just incase..It is was I was told when I got mine, just wish £2000 was enough when the engine did need a rebuild. I had a R33 gtr for 7 years and it really was a money pit, not just from things going wrong but you get hooked on upping the power.
If you want to be safe don't go modified as parts are expensive and you will have to get used to the skyline tax which makes parts cost 3 times more than what they are on other cars.
If you want to be safe don't go modified as parts are expensive and you will have to get used to the skyline tax which makes parts cost 3 times more than what they are on other cars.
Thanks for the input chaps. I have read lots of good things about Newera, so that's probaby where i would be looking.
I think the idea would be to look at cars that have already been slightly modified so as to not have to go to the expense of doing it myself. I wouldn't go too high in BHP though for fears of fragility and frequenty having to replace super expensive parts - i really don't want to go from a car that only costs me oil and filters at the moment to something that's going to break me.
And i can fully appreciate that it's possible to spend ridiculous amounts on lush upgraded parts, but i'm sure i could be fairly restrained in that regard; i've drawn the line with the 'Teg at a Gruppe M intake and a Fujitsubo cat-back, i'd be more than happy with around about 350bhp in a GTR.
I think the idea would be to look at cars that have already been slightly modified so as to not have to go to the expense of doing it myself. I wouldn't go too high in BHP though for fears of fragility and frequenty having to replace super expensive parts - i really don't want to go from a car that only costs me oil and filters at the moment to something that's going to break me.
And i can fully appreciate that it's possible to spend ridiculous amounts on lush upgraded parts, but i'm sure i could be fairly restrained in that regard; i've drawn the line with the 'Teg at a Gruppe M intake and a Fujitsubo cat-back, i'd be more than happy with around about 350bhp in a GTR.
Old Gregg said:
Thanks for the input chaps. I have read lots of good things about Newera, so that's probaby where i would be looking.
I think the idea would be to look at cars that have already been slightly modified so as to not have to go to the expense of doing it myself. I wouldn't go too high in BHP though for fears of fragility and frequenty having to replace super expensive parts - i really don't want to go from a car that only costs me oil and filters at the moment to something that's going to break me.
And i can fully appreciate that it's possible to spend ridiculous amounts on lush upgraded parts, but i'm sure i could be fairly restrained in that regard; i've drawn the line with the 'Teg at a Gruppe M intake and a Fujitsubo cat-back, i'd be more than happy with around about 350bhp in a GTR.
I bought one of these a long time ago through Newera and on the whole it was fine. Be aware though that you are not buying from a dealer and therefore have none of the comebacks. I think the idea would be to look at cars that have already been slightly modified so as to not have to go to the expense of doing it myself. I wouldn't go too high in BHP though for fears of fragility and frequenty having to replace super expensive parts - i really don't want to go from a car that only costs me oil and filters at the moment to something that's going to break me.
And i can fully appreciate that it's possible to spend ridiculous amounts on lush upgraded parts, but i'm sure i could be fairly restrained in that regard; i've drawn the line with the 'Teg at a Gruppe M intake and a Fujitsubo cat-back, i'd be more than happy with around about 350bhp in a GTR.
IMO, 350hp in a GTR isn't that much at all. I was running around the 400 mark and that's where they start to feel truely fast.
Be prepared for it to be very expensive to own though. Much more than your Integra for sure. Oil every 3000 miles is a minimum, mine took around 8 litres with the oil cooler fitted. Labour costs at any specialists were up there with premium brand dealerships and repair costs if the worst happens are huge. Remember, you have 6 of everything instead of 4, plus two turbos.
If it's your only car and you rely on it then I'd want an emergency fund to have more like £4000 in that £2000 as previously mentioned. When I had mine I bought a new 1.2 Clio as it was cheaper to pay the £100pm lease on that than to fuel the GTR for driving to work each day! It was truely an event when I did take it to work though!
They are great cars, just be aware that it will cost you a lot more than your Integra does at present. I still think about buying one again. If I did though then I'd buy one with a blown engine for half the cost of that Newera car and get an engine built for it. Much more of a known quantity then.
They're superb, the insurance is pretty lofty but it's worth it, and they do cost a bit to keep perfect, again totally worth it.
Regular oil changes are a must, and unless you're happy throwing chunks away every once in a while, I'd keep a little slush fund stashed somewhere that you put a few quid a week into, just incase. RB26 is an amazing engine, but they're not as bulletproof as they're often made out to be. I've known shed loads that have knackered a bearing, my R33GTR did infact. They aren't that big a deal to rebuild if they do go wrong, and normally it's a blessing in an expensive disguise as you get to put some forgies in and run more power and upgrades
They're a great car, VERY tunable and very capable, and totally deserving of their reputation. The R32 is a superb car on track, gives backs of feedback to the driver and is very nimble and agile. I personally prefer the R33's having had one of each, but that's very subjective. My 32GTR was an everyday car, running 550bhp, and my 33GTR was an everyday car, at one point running considerably more than that.
Newera are a top bunch, and Miguel is a great chap. You certainly won't go wrong using his services.
Best of luck in your search, any questions feel free to ask
Regular oil changes are a must, and unless you're happy throwing chunks away every once in a while, I'd keep a little slush fund stashed somewhere that you put a few quid a week into, just incase. RB26 is an amazing engine, but they're not as bulletproof as they're often made out to be. I've known shed loads that have knackered a bearing, my R33GTR did infact. They aren't that big a deal to rebuild if they do go wrong, and normally it's a blessing in an expensive disguise as you get to put some forgies in and run more power and upgrades
They're a great car, VERY tunable and very capable, and totally deserving of their reputation. The R32 is a superb car on track, gives backs of feedback to the driver and is very nimble and agile. I personally prefer the R33's having had one of each, but that's very subjective. My 32GTR was an everyday car, running 550bhp, and my 33GTR was an everyday car, at one point running considerably more than that.
Newera are a top bunch, and Miguel is a great chap. You certainly won't go wrong using his services.
Best of luck in your search, any questions feel free to ask
Edited by Stu R on Thursday 22 July 10:38
Thank you both for your informative posts, again, it's very much appeciated.
It would be my only car but i cycle to work most of the time - unless it's raining or it's going to rain on my ride home, then i use the car. In the last year i've only done 6k miles so a couple of oil changes every 12 months is fine.
On the whole, do owners/potential buyers prefer to see paperwork from specialists for general servicing and upkeep (oil and filter changes, wear and tear parts like brakes) or are people happy enough to see bundles of reciepts for the actual parts if the owner does the work themselves? Obviously for more technical jobs, invoices from a respected garage would be essential, but for simple things like dropping the engine oil do many owners do it at home? It's quite acceptable in the "Integra world" but on a car such as the GTR i'm not sure that would sit so well. With labour as high as you say at a specialist, there are clearly savings to be made by some home-fettling.
It would be my only car but i cycle to work most of the time - unless it's raining or it's going to rain on my ride home, then i use the car. In the last year i've only done 6k miles so a couple of oil changes every 12 months is fine.
On the whole, do owners/potential buyers prefer to see paperwork from specialists for general servicing and upkeep (oil and filter changes, wear and tear parts like brakes) or are people happy enough to see bundles of reciepts for the actual parts if the owner does the work themselves? Obviously for more technical jobs, invoices from a respected garage would be essential, but for simple things like dropping the engine oil do many owners do it at home? It's quite acceptable in the "Integra world" but on a car such as the GTR i'm not sure that would sit so well. With labour as high as you say at a specialist, there are clearly savings to be made by some home-fettling.
Old Gregg said:
Thank you both for your informative posts, again, it's very much appeciated.
It would be my only car but i cycle to work most of the time - unless it's raining or it's going to rain on my ride home, then i use the car. In the last year i've only done 6k miles so a couple of oil changes every 12 months is fine.
On the whole, do owners/potential buyers prefer to see paperwork from specialists for general servicing and upkeep (oil and filter changes, wear and tear parts like brakes) or are people happy enough to see bundles of reciepts for the actual parts if the owner does the work themselves? Obviously for more technical jobs, invoices from a respected garage would be essential, but for simple things like dropping the engine oil do many owners do it at home? It's quite acceptable in the "Integra world" but on a car such as the GTR i'm not sure that would sit so well. With labour as high as you say at a specialist, there are clearly savings to be made by some home-fettling.
I had mine quite some time ago now, but I'd assume it's like anything else. Receipts and obvious good condition will still count for a lot. It would be my only car but i cycle to work most of the time - unless it's raining or it's going to rain on my ride home, then i use the car. In the last year i've only done 6k miles so a couple of oil changes every 12 months is fine.
On the whole, do owners/potential buyers prefer to see paperwork from specialists for general servicing and upkeep (oil and filter changes, wear and tear parts like brakes) or are people happy enough to see bundles of reciepts for the actual parts if the owner does the work themselves? Obviously for more technical jobs, invoices from a respected garage would be essential, but for simple things like dropping the engine oil do many owners do it at home? It's quite acceptable in the "Integra world" but on a car such as the GTR i'm not sure that would sit so well. With labour as high as you say at a specialist, there are clearly savings to be made by some home-fettling.
You've got me looking at cheap ones now though... The wife would kill me. I'm supposed to be buying a 4wd family wagon!
I have a GTR32. Fabulous cars, reliable as standard, but with more power and mileage come more bills.
Most tuners recommend a refresh at 60K miles, as the bottom end bearings will be worn at this point and cheaper to replace them then need a new crank.
If you can find one with a recentish rebuild by a specialist that would be ideal.
If not buying from a decent inporter, try the GTROC, as there will be cars for sale that have had many £££'s lavished on them.
Not cheap to run and not a car I would use for everyday transport, just a weekend toy.
Most tuners recommend a refresh at 60K miles, as the bottom end bearings will be worn at this point and cheaper to replace them then need a new crank.
If you can find one with a recentish rebuild by a specialist that would be ideal.
If not buying from a decent inporter, try the GTROC, as there will be cars for sale that have had many £££'s lavished on them.
Not cheap to run and not a car I would use for everyday transport, just a weekend toy.
Old Gregg said:
I've longed for one of these for a long time now, but insurance (doable now at 27 - well, i would hope anyway) and potential running and maintenance costs have always frightened me.
However, a thread earlier had this link in it:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1792075.htm
which is enough to make me seriously start thinking about moving up from my DC5.
I understand that regular servicing is essential, which i'm happy with, but are they massively expensive to keep on top of? I know fuel bills would be a lot more than an Integra (which is incredibly reliable, cheap to look after overall) but i don't do that many miles so fuel should be managable.
I kind of expect that a good one could be pretty trouble-free but a bad one could hurt my wallet in a big way?
Any thoughts or first hand experience?
Cheers.
EDIT: Speeloing
I'm a huge fan of the R32 GT-R and have more than once been very tempted to seriously look at them.However, a thread earlier had this link in it:
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1792075.htm
which is enough to make me seriously start thinking about moving up from my DC5.
I understand that regular servicing is essential, which i'm happy with, but are they massively expensive to keep on top of? I know fuel bills would be a lot more than an Integra (which is incredibly reliable, cheap to look after overall) but i don't do that many miles so fuel should be managable.
I kind of expect that a good one could be pretty trouble-free but a bad one could hurt my wallet in a big way?
Any thoughts or first hand experience?
Cheers.
EDIT: Speeloing
Edited by Old Gregg on Wednesday 21st July 21:28
Head over here for some good owners views and help: http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/
One thing I'd say is, go drive one. Then honestly compare it to the DC5. Remember while the Skyline is truly rapid, it is a bigger class of car, so B road bashing it likely won't feel as nimble and light as the DC5 does. You also need to bear in mind the R32's are getting on a bit now. So not only is it a high performance specialist car, but also nearing on a classic. So you'll need to treat it as such.
If running costs are truly a concern, then despite me saying it often. I'd seriously look at imports from the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Yank metal has the potential to match the HP levels and performance and the enjoyment, even if slower on track. But as a rule I'd say they are likely to be cheaper and easier to maintain and a lot easier to look after.
e.g. £10k will get you (if you can find one) a 2003/4 Mustang Cobra. These are a DOHC 4.6 V8 with an Eaton Roots M112R supercharger. Running a T56 6 speed manual and IRS with LSD. They make around 400hp stock (Ford claimed 390hp). But a few simple mods and they can make the best part of 500-550hp and still retain good road manners and reliability.
Cheers all, plenty of things to consider here - lots of research needed, i feel.
300bhp, ta for the skylineowners.com link and your thoughts. B-road bashing is indeed where i love the '5 most and i need to weigh up losing a little of that litheness and chuckability (and the bonkers near-9k redline) against gaining the raw pace with the R32. I'm also pretty set on an Skyline if i do change my car, but thanks for the alternatve suggestions. The alternative is actually to keep the DC5 as a weekend car and buy a good clean ~1990 Prelude as a daily driver/rainy work-journey car.
300bhp, ta for the skylineowners.com link and your thoughts. B-road bashing is indeed where i love the '5 most and i need to weigh up losing a little of that litheness and chuckability (and the bonkers near-9k redline) against gaining the raw pace with the R32. I'm also pretty set on an Skyline if i do change my car, but thanks for the alternatve suggestions. The alternative is actually to keep the DC5 as a weekend car and buy a good clean ~1990 Prelude as a daily driver/rainy work-journey car.
Old Gregg said:
Cheers all, plenty of things to consider here - lots of research needed, i feel.
300bhp, ta for the skylineowners.com link and your thoughts. B-road bashing is indeed where i love the '5 most and i need to weigh up losing a little of that litheness and chuckability (and the bonkers near-9k redline) against gaining the raw pace with the R32. I'm also pretty set on an Skyline if i do change my car, but thanks for the alternatve suggestions. The alternative is actually to keep the DC5 as a weekend car and buy a good clean ~1990 Prelude as a daily driver/rainy work-journey car.
You'll be surprised what a GTR can do on a back road, especially a 32 which are a bit more agile. I don't think you've got much to worry about, save for cars which are running too low or with spring rates that are too high. A well setup 32 GTR, on sensible spring rates with properly matched dampers, is great for monstering some B roads. DC5 is a decent handling car, but I'd be surprised if you didn't find the GTR the better of the two, I certainly did having driven a couple of DC5s.300bhp, ta for the skylineowners.com link and your thoughts. B-road bashing is indeed where i love the '5 most and i need to weigh up losing a little of that litheness and chuckability (and the bonkers near-9k redline) against gaining the raw pace with the R32. I'm also pretty set on an Skyline if i do change my car, but thanks for the alternatve suggestions. The alternative is actually to keep the DC5 as a weekend car and buy a good clean ~1990 Prelude as a daily driver/rainy work-journey car.
Stu R said:
You'll be surprised what a GTR can do on a back road, especially a 32 which are a bit more agile. I don't think you've got much to worry about, save for cars which are running too low or with spring rates that are too high. A well setup 32 GTR, on sensible spring rates with properly matched dampers, is great for monstering some B roads. DC5 is a decent handling car, but I'd be surprised if you didn't find the GTR the better of the two, I certainly did having driven a couple of DC5s.
Yeah, from the reading i've done so far it seems the R32 is quite hustlable on back roads. I know the DC5 is far from the be all and end all as far as handling goes, but i don't want to lose that joy of grabbing a car by the scruff of the neck and thoroughly wringing it out.The main issue that bothers me with the GTR at the moment is the potential to cripple me financially if i get a bad one, or having some kind of substantial engine or transmission fault occur after seemingly buying a good one. It's a car i dearly want to own but i'd hate to give up a car i love for something that could be very special, but has the potential to be a nightmare. Having money to one side in case of problems is doable, but i need to consider if the potential for spending outweighs the joys of ownership.
There's some serious thinking to be done, that's for sure.
What do you chaps think of these ones?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1723590.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884275.htm
Edited to add another car
Edit again: Nevermind, found the 2nd car on gtr.co.uk...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1723590.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884275.htm
Edited to add another car
Edit again: Nevermind, found the 2nd car on gtr.co.uk...
Edited by Old Gregg on Friday 23 July 12:29
I have owned my r32 gtr for 4 years and before this i,d had yank muscle cars and cosworths.The gtr is a great car,i use mine for trackdays mainly but even though its near 700 bhp its still good on the street and could be used everyday if you had the petrol mony.I know a lot of yank owners look down on jap cars but having owned both i think everyone should try a gtr.Like some have already stated make sure you buy one that has had the engine rebuilt or has low engine miles as they can be very expensive to repair.I get all my work done by RK tuning (Ron Kiddell) near rayleigh,he knows R32,s inside out and also races them.Mine is insured with A plan who are normally cheaper than most.
Old Gregg said:
What do you chaps think of these ones?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1723590.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884275.htm
Edited to add another car
Edit again: Nevermind, found the 2nd car on gtr.co.uk...
First one is a little off. I would guess that it's been modded in the past then returned to stock(ish). Not bad but the second is the same car but better value IMHO. I have also seen the second one round the GTROC site which is a plus point for me.http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1723590.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884275.htm
Edited to add another car
Edit again: Nevermind, found the 2nd car on gtr.co.uk...
Edited by Old Gregg on Friday 23 July 12:29
For this level of car I'm not sure I'd bother changing the oil every 3k miles if you're using the car on the road. I aim for 5-6k with decent (ie the best) oil. Check the gearbox out as the synchros can go and in extreme cases the box can be chuffed. Not that costly to replace but certainly worth checking.
IMO the best value cars are UK based like the ones you're looking at. If you can I'd go to some of the meets and ask the owners to show you about their cars. You'll get a feel for what a good condition car looks like then. I'd also ignore mileage and buy purely on condition. Many will have had work done in the last 20 odd years and ideally I'd be looking for a recent bottom end refresh.
Running costs aren't really that high (petrol aside). If the engine and drive-train is sound then just ensure that the body is straight and you should be happy. Have a chat to the seller and see what kind of person they are. It's a powerful turbocharged car so thrashing it when it's cold is not a good idea. You want someone who looks after the car properly and knows about this sort of thing. If work has been done then phone up the garage that did it and have a chat. As with all thinghs some garages are better than others so make sure you're happy with the work done (and that it is as advertised).
Your usage sounds similar to mine so some osrt of battery charger will be required. The stock battery is Micra sized and tends to flatten itself in a week or so.
Good luck!
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